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Mourinho: Blues have two of world's top keepers

Jose Mourinho believes Chelsea are in possession of two of the world's top three goalkeepers in the form of Thibaut Courtois and Petr Cech.

Published

15 August 2014

Belgium international Courtois has been on loan at La Liga champions Atletico Madrid for the last three seasons, but is back at Stamford Bridge to challenge long-term custodian Cech for the number one shirt during the new campaign.

Chelsea begin their Premier League season at newly promoted Burnley on Monday.

And while Mourinho refused to confirm who of Courtois and Cech will start at Turf Moor, he is nevertheless confident he has the strongest goalkeeping line-up in football available to him.

"I think Chelsea has two of the three best goalkeepers in the world and this is unique," said the Portuguese on Friday. "So is it a problem for me? A great problem because they are both fantastic goalkeepers.

"Even [Mark] Schwarzer - obviously a different age and different level at this moment - is a great goalkeeper.

"I think it's a problem every manager in every club would like to have."

However, Mourinho did concede that having such talent at his disposal would leave him with a delicate balancing act when it came to team selections.

"It's not easy... because I don't think any manager is happy to see one player not in a very happy and comfortable situation," he added.

"Only in that perspective is it not easy for me because I like to see happy people.

"I can understand that if a top goalkeeper that would play in every club in the world is here and one of them is going to be on the bench.

"For Chelsea Football Club it is a great situation, for me as a manager... it is a very safe and comfortable situation.

"At the moment they are working well and hard and we are so happy to have them both.

"During the season, if one is definitely my first choice, I have to support and stimulate the other one.

"I cannot have one of these incredible goalkeepers on the bench for a number of months, I have to stimulate the competition."